Key To Everything
by Extraordinarily Extraordinary
Summary: Tumblr Secret Santa gift for killjoy36: Castle and Beckett's Christmas, a little different than how it was shown. Starts sad and talks about Connecticut (hence the T rating) but gets much happier and much better part way in. I hope you like it!


**So this is my tumblr Secret Santa gift to killjoy36.**

**I know it's short but I didn't want to make it much longer in fear of adding too much and ruining it. I hope it's okay anyway.**

**First half is somewhat depressing and talks about what happened in Connecticut on the 14th, but it gets happier. I promise. I just started writing this on the 15th and that was what I was thinking about so... **

**Anyway, hope you like it killjoy36!**

* * *

**December 14, 2012**

"Sandy Hook Elementary...Connecticut...Twenty kids..."

Beckett grabs the remote from beside her and shuts the TV off completely. She realizes she could have changed the channel or put it on mute, but the things being said and shown on her television screen are just too much for her.

With Castle curled up in a ball next to her, fast asleep, she has nobody to turn to. Nobody. The horrific thoughts of one man killing a bunch of innocent kids is eating away at her and no one is around to talk to. She needs someone - anyone, at this point - to talk to.

Breathing heavily doesn't work like it normally would. Because it's _kids. _She tries to think about other things but nothing works.

She should wake Castle up. He'd want her to. But she can't.

The loft is silent, so she notices the scratch of keys in the door. She sits up straight, alert, and watches the door with hesitation.

It's Alexis.

"Hey," she says as she puts her key down on the table next to the door. She peels her jacket off and kicks her boots into the closet. "How are you?"

Kate shrugs, "Fine. Were you planning to come home this weekend?"

"Don't lie, Kate," Alexis shakes her head. "I watched the news. I couldn't be alone. I just - I wanted to see my dad. Does that sound crazy?"

Kate shakes her head with a small smile, "Not at all. We were just - well, I was just watching the news too. Your dad passed out about an hour back."

Alexis tilts her head in the direction of the kitchen and Kate gets up to follow her. The young girl pours them both glasses of water and sets them down before taking a seat next to her father's girlfriend.

"I couldn't be alone, not tonight. I texted Dad but he didn't reply so I just came over anyway. Figured he wouldn't mind," Alexis starts. "Twenty kids, Kate. They were all like six or seven too. How could - ?"

Kate rests her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I don't know," she whispers. "I don't know."

Alexis' breath catches as she speaks again, "I mean, I just think of what it's going to be like in the future. Are my kids going to be afraid to go to school because they could get killed? Or worse, are they going to be afraid to step outside? To leave their rooms? To go anywhere? Is there going to be this constant fear of being shot and killed, no matter your age?"

Kate sighs, "I think the same."

"It used to be that kids didn't know the terrors. They weren't privy to it, it was kept from them to keep them innocent and happy and safe. But now? Now they're resorting to killing kindergarteners? That is sick. Killing anyone is, but little kids..." Alexis continues as though Kate hadn't spoken.

"I don't know Alexis," she says. "I don't -"

"Wait." Kate is cut off my her younger counterpart. "Did you say you think the same?"

"About what?" Kate inwardly cringes.

Alexis gives her an incredulous smile, "About worrying about your kids in the future?"

"I meant, I mean, I just meant kids in general..."

"Kate. Do you want kids?" Alexis grins at her. "With my dad?"

Kate tries not to answer. Because she can't lie to the girl, but the truth...

"Oh. My. God! Kate, you do!" Alexis squeals.

Kate jumps and looks back at Castle sleeping on the couch. "Okay, fine. Yes! I do. But don't say anything. He doesn't know how far I've thought... Alexis, please?"

"But Kate, you have to tell him! He'll be ecstatic! Oh god Kate, do you know how happy that would make him?" Alexis freaks.

"Alexis..."

"Okay, fine," the girl relents. "But you have to tell him. Soon. Please?"

Kate shrugs, "Maybe."

Alexis is silent for a moment, the horrors of Sandy Hook leaving her mind momentarily. She sits straighten when an idea hits her and she turns a grin on Kate.

"What...?" the detective asks.

"Christmas. Oh my gosh, Kate, that would be an amazing Christmas present! Not kids, I mean, but telling him how far you've thought? You could make it even more than that... I could help."

Kate looks thoughtful. She has been struggling with finding the perfect gift for him. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

**December 25, 2012**

She has to go into work for a bit. Only an hour or two. He can live with that.

It gives him time to set up and plan for her present when she gets back. Because of course he got her something, unlike he told her last night.

He lays the present on the table in front of the couch and then goes about to organize the food, lighting, and decor. It takes longer than expected, of course, because he gets distracted multiple times along the way.

When she gets to his door, smiling wide, he pulls her into him. A bone crushing hug and a smothering kiss to start the day.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she whispers against his lips.

"Merry Christmas, Kate," he pulls her to the couch and sets her down.

He watches as her eyes immediately fall to the gift lying in front of her. "Castle, you said you didn't get me anything..."

"I lied last night. I thought this present deserved to be opened on Christmas Day, not Eve," he tells her. He slides over to sit as close to her as he can without squishing her.

She picks it up and turns it over in her hands. "What is it?"

"Open it."

She does and her face shows exactly the reaction he was hoping her. He watches as she flips through the pages of the book he handmade her and observes her mouthing out the words on the pages. It take three pages for her to realize that this is their story. It's the story of Castle and Beckett, up until this point, written down.

"There's more," he tells her. "More pages, I mean. So that one day, I can take it and continue it. Because this is our story and it's never ending."

"Castle..." she breathes. "I love it. Thank you."

He pulls her in for another kiss, this one even longer than the one that greeted her at the door when she arrived.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too," she breathes out for the first time.

He loses the oxygen inside him and has to breathe deeply again to regain it back.

"I do," she says. "And I have a present for you."

"No," he shakes his head. "Those three words are the only gift I need for...well, like, forever."

She chuckles but shakes her head, "No. I have something for you too."

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small box. He wonders what is in it, knowing he'll find out in less than a minute.

She hands it over and he looks straight at her before pulling the top off. It's a key.

"You gave me...a key?" he asks, not trying to sound rude, just genuinely confused.

She grins at him, "Yeah. I mean, we have a bunch of keys. I have a key to the loft, you have a key to my place. I have the key to your heart, you have one to mine - however cheesy that sounds - and I was thinking, what if it was all just one key? What if we both just had one key to everything?"

"Everything?" his jaw drops.

She nods, "Everything. Your home, my home, your heart, my heart... all in the same place."

He doesn't speak. He can't. He is one hundred percent sure there is no possible way for him to talk right now.

"Alexis helped me out. That's actually my key...to here? I mean, if you want something else, or you don't want to live together, that's fine. I just - I thought..."

He cuts her off and shakes his head side to side, very fast. "No. No. I love it. Please. Yes. Please. Move in. Take this key. I'll get rid of the one to yours. Please? Forever. Kate, this is forever, right?"

She laughs and grins at him. Her eyes are glossy but she's just so happy, he can see it. "Yes Castle. Moving in is a forever kind of thing for me."

He grins and pulls her into him again, not letting her go for a long time.

* * *

**January 5, 2013**

The moving truck pulls away from Kate Beckett's apartment. She leaves the key with the super and walks outside, looking at the front doors for the last time.

Someone grabs her hand and she jumps slightly, before noticing it's just Castle. "Hey," she whispers.

"Hey, ready to say goodbye?" he asks.

She nods. She turns around and gets into his car. He pulls out and she watches out her window as the building fades into the city behind her. She'll never live there again.

They get to the loft quickly. Traffic is good and it's not that far a drive anyway.

The moving trucks begin to unload and she's carrying a box of her most treasured things. Just outside the loft, her moving party waits. Lanie, Kevin, Javier, Jenny, Alexis, Martha, and her father. They all stand with smiles, ready to help the movers get their job done.

It doesn't take long, not nearly as long as she'd expected. By the time night falls, she's moved in. Most of the important things have been unpacked. They'd pretty much figured everything out before. Today was just the matter of putting the things were they belong.

Castle loops his arm around her and twirls Kate into him. She collapses in his arms and sways with him, breathing in his scent.

They're silent, slowly twirling and dancing in the silence.

"Thank you," he finally whispers in her ear, swaying back and forth with her still in his arms.

"Don't thank me. This was the perfect way to start the new year," she says.

He nods. "Come to bed," he pulls her arm slightly. "Our bed."

She lets out a laugh and smiles, "Yeah, I guess this is _my _bed now."

"Kate, this was your bed, and your home, way before today."

* * *

**Thoughts? Love it? Hate it? Please review!**

**So, I know it's a little OOC but it's cute and it's Christmas. And I know that it was sad at the beginning, but it got better, right?**

**Merry Christmas killjoy36!**

**xo Sarah**


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